The Red Beach of Hormuz

Perhaps the most recognizable macro features of a map of the Middle East are the arms of water surrounding the Arabian Peninsula.

Toward Africa, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are separated by the Bab al-Mandab Strait. On the eastern side are the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Dividing these two entities is the historically significant Strait of Hormuz.

A little, fantastically shaped horn juts north where the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman collide, composed of parts of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Across the strait lies Iran.

Just five miles from the Iranian coast, an interesting island sits near Bandar Abbas. Uninterestingly, this island’s name is also Hormuz, though sometimes it’s spelled Hormoz, Ormoz, Ormuz, or Ormus.

This tiny island of just 16 square miles features an outsized historical record.

Evidence of human habitation stretches back 40,000 years. The Ancient Greeks called the island Organa; it became Jarun during the Islamic period. Confusingly, the name Hormuz comes from an important city in the region 37 miles away. Marco Polo visited the island twice, and it served as a getaway for a local ruler during an incursion by the Mongols. The island became a hub for trade moving between Asia, Africa, and Europe. In the 1500s, the Portuguese captured control. Their fortifications still dot the coasts. In the 1600s, the English and the Persians booted the Portuguese. The Persians lost interest in utilizing Hormoz for trade and military strategy, which led to a decline in human population that has persisted to modern times.

Though the place is often too hot for many to be interested in living there, Hormuz Island became a tourist attraction during the 20th and 21st centuries.

The main draw wasn’t the diverse history but the unusual red beaches!

Some sources cite a mountain at the center of the island. Encyclopedia Brittanica calls it “mostly barren” and “hilly.” Impressive cliffs line the coast.

Looking at it from above, nearly concentric circles seem to radiate from a central point. Geologically, Hormuz Island is a salt dome that has only been above water for approximately 50,000 years. The evaporites that form the rock were deposited by oceans about 600 million years ago. You might muse, “Salt isn’t usually a dark red color,” and, indeed, you would be correct. Amongst the salts of Hormuz are sedimentary deposits that include iron!

The color at Hormuz comes from a mixture called ochre or iron ochre, which is composed of clay, sand, and ferric oxide. This combination can present as yellow, orange, or red, depending on how much iron it contains.

Thanks to erosion and the geography of the island, these dark red ochres move from the central areas toward the coast.

In some spots, the ochre creates gorgeous red beaches.

Locals call the ochre “gelack.”

The inhabitants of Hormuz Island do not relegate gelack to looking pretty on the island. They have employed it as a dye or woven it directly into artistic pieces.

They even use it as a spice or condiment! Sooragh is a sauce that contains gelack, which can be used to make Hormuzi Red Bread, often called Tomshi.

Though the reds dominate, Hormuz displays other colors in its plumage, earning the nickname of Rainbow Island.

The small spit seems picturesque, filled with soaring cliffs and a rugged interior.

If you happen to be at Hormuz Island during a rare appearance of precipitation, you might receive quite a treat: blood-red torrents!

Recently, a storm hit the island and produced quite the show. Other than the fact that people are standing near the edge of a massive drop as water rushes around them, this seems like an incredible experience.